Dr. Jennifer Ulie is committed to meeting students' needs in her role as Parent Engagement Liaison.
We are so pleased to honor the work of Dr. Jennifer Ulie, our very first pioneer Parent Engagement Liaison in our network of Elev8 Online Schools, Learn4Life Schools, and Flex Schools nationally! Dr. Ulie joined our ecosystem last year and is doing incredible work with our communities. As a parent and a Trauma-Resilient Certified Professional, she is dedicated to creating collaboration and connection between parents, teachers, and school staff to champion the success of our students.
Dr. Ulie Shares Her Story:
My son was a recent graduate of Mission Academy, and I had just recently moved to Los Angeles from the Midwest so that he could continue to access a high-quality healthcare team for his complex health needs. When this role opened up as Parent Engagement Liaison, I was so excited to have an opportunity to give back to other parents trying to navigate life.
Since it was a new position, I spent a lot of time during the onset collecting data, having conversations, and starting to build relationships to understand better what already existed for parents, caregivers, and families, as well as what needs there were to make an implementation plan for this role. I spent over a decade consulting as a trauma and mental health trainer, working specifically with schools and organizations to optimize outcomes by centering the social, emotional, and mental health of students, staff, and parents, so I was excited to get to focus specifically on parents and caregivers within an online school system serving students across California.
Collaboration is everything in my role, and I’m so fortunate to get to work with students, parents, staff and amazing community members.
Many of the amazing families we work with have experienced high levels of toxic stress, such as domestic violence, substance abuse, immigration, racism, poverty, juvenile justice involvement, food insecurity, housing, and navigating dysfunctional service systems. When working with families, one of my first priorities is building a relationship with them grounded in some of my vulnerabilities. Parents and caregivers have no reason to trust me until I earn that, so it helps tremendously when I disclose that I am a parent of a child with complex needs and have experienced being unhoused, food insecure, and more. Being trauma-informed means that when we see students, parents, and caregivers not engaging in meaningful ways, we have to ask why and focus on what we need to change to better meet their needs.
Collaboration is everything in my role, and I’m so fortunate to get to work with students, parents, staff, and amazing community members. I oversee our internships with students from San Diego State University. They have been instrumental in helping to develop our Parent & Caregiver Hub including a comprehensive resource library and Parent University. If there is ever anything I can do to support your efforts, please feel free to reach out to me at jennifer.ulie@paseograndehs.org.
Dr. Jennifer Ulie has a Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Education with certifications in mental health and social justice. She has been in education for over 20 years as a special educator. In 2013, she founded Please Pass the Love Youth Mental Health Initiative which provides systemic training and support for thousands of educators, schools, and districts across Iowa while hosting the only school mental health conference in the state.
SPREADING THE WORD
Trauma & Youth. The Power of Healing
Dana Brown, our Trauma-Resilient Communities (TREC) Pioneer, and Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) Science Statewide Facilitator, was recently featured on Elev8 Online SchoolsParent University podcast with Dr. Jennifer Ulie.
When we know better, we should do better.
In this interview with Dr. Ulie, Dana talks about complex and system-induced trauma and how the zip code of the community matters in terms of the accessibility to healing center resources. She shares profound insights and practical strategies to foster support, healing, and resilience and how we can all work to humanize our spaces together, which begins by acknowledging one another in the spirit of honor and empathy.
Students of Unity, Respect, Consciousness, and Energy (SOURCE)
The SOURCE program is a TREC wellness class for students to learn different techniques on how to cope with stressful events, be more mindful in their lives, and become more resilient. In this video, you'll hear the amazing stories of several students who have benefited from the program, and also what their teachers and counselors have to say.
Here's what one student had to say:
"I think SOURCE helps you push yourself in the right direction and gives you the self-confidence to accomplish your goals. With that tough relationship with school, rather than fearing school, you can be happy and positive about going. The SOURCE program helped me to develop the idea that I'm here and who I am matters. There are a lot of different things I can go through and still have a purpose."
And here’s what one teacher had to say:
“The main thing is seeing the students grow and mature with just a little bit of guidance on some strategies and self-reflection—watching them become more confident in themselves and become more self-assured. There’s just nothing compared to that —it’s a huge, huge joy!”
Achieving Trauma-Resilient Certification has undeniable benefits for any professional career. Learn more about TREC's mission and share with a friend:
